Thief jailed for driving wrong way down the M4

Scott Lipiatt pleaded guilty to multiple offences

A man who drove a van full of stolen goods the wrong way down the M4 in Wiltshire has been jailed for 17 months.

Scott Lippiatt, 23, of Stanier Road, Siston, was spotted by police driving a stolen van in Swindon, and ended up on the motorway as he tried to avoid traffic units.

Lippiatt pleaded guilty to multiple offences, including dangerous driving, and was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on 9 August.

All three occupants of the van were arrested, with the other two - men from Bristol - getting community orders.

Wiltshire Police said that on 15 January, officers noticed a Citroen Berlingo in Swindon that had been involved in a number of thefts of items such as tools, motocross bikes and clothing..

They tried unsuccessfully to stop the van, which was travelling using stolen number plates.

It was sighted again on the A3102 Blagrove travelling towards junction 16 of the M4.

Police tried to stop the van at some traffic lights, but it broke out of their attempts to contain it, went through a red light, mounted a grass verge then entered the M4 going the wrong way.

Three firearms units had to make contact with the van, causing it to crash at low speed into the central reservation, with all three men inside it being arrested at the scene.

'Mindless and dangerous'

PC Warren Johnston said Scott Lippiatt “showed no respect for other motorists" and drove in a "mindless and dangerous" way, risking causing multiple collisions.

He explained that the force was able to return "a number of high-value stolen items to the their owners".

Lippiatt pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop, multiple thefts, driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent, going equipped for theft, driving otherwise in accordance with a licence and without insurance.

John Matthews, 39, of Lawrence Weston, Bristol and Chaz Bevan, 26, of Broadbury Road, Bristol, were both given community orders for the roles they played.